Improvement in harvester-cutters



UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

BRONSON MURRAY, OF FARM RIDGE, ASSIGNOR TO T. R SPENCER, ASSIGNOR TO J. S. WRIGHT, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS.

IM PROVEM ENT IN HARVESTER-CUTTERS.

Spccilieation forming part of Letters Patent No. l L076, dated June 13, 1854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, BRONSON MURRAY, of the county ot' La Salle, town ot' Farm Ridge, State ot' illinois, have invented a new and improved method for removing the clogging mattei' which obstructs the free motion ofthe sickle or knife blades iu machinery for cutting grass and grain, and also for supporting and bracing and strengthening and arranging the arm or bar, commonly called the sickleboard,7 in such machines, of which the following is a specification.

The nature ot my invention consists in furnishing the sickle o1 knil'e blade with two cuttingedges-011e to cut the grain or grass in front, theI other to cut in the rear, and remove from the fingers or separators which support the said blade the fibrous, glutinous, or other solid matter which may gather upon said iingers or separators, whether above or below the blade aforesaid, in the operation of cutting grass and some grains. I support, Aby means of knees and shoulders of cast-iron or other material, the sickleboard aforesaid in such manner that said sickle-board may come in, close contact with the earth while running, and without the intervention ot' any pieces of iron between said sickle-board and the earth. l place the said sickle-board at an angle with the frame-work of the machine, so that while the machine runs on an inclination the sickleboard shall run horizontally, or as nearly so as shall be considered desirable.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct-from a plate of steel or other suit-able metal the blade B of my sickle or knife, with such arrangement for the cutting of the grass or grain as may be preferred. Be-

. hind the cutting-edge, and at suitable places,

I cut away openings, as shown at A AA in the accompanying diagram, which openings I generally make of an angular form and extend entirely back, so as to cut away the back part of the blade. One or both of the edges ot' the openings thus created I furnish with sharp sei-rations. This I generally do by filing down such edge or edgesv to a bevel, and with a chisel cut serrations or points in the said bevel. These serrations, in the vibration of the sickle, catch and remove said clogging matter. My usual mode is to cause one set ot' edges-as, for instance, all those to the right of all the various letters A A-to remove theV matter from the lower side of the lingers or separators aforesaid, and another set to remove it from the upper side 'of the same, which I do by beveling the iirst-named edge from vor on the upper side of the knife or sickle blade and the other edge (lastnamed) from or on the lower side, and vice versa.

I construct the knees" and shoulders referred to ot' cast-iron or other suitable mate-v rial, and bolt them to the frame-work of the machine securely, C. One of the knees or shoulders is directly in front of the sickleboard, at the end which runs inside the said frame-work, while another, D, bolted to the side and bottom of the said frame-work, projects outward and along the back of said sicklehoard, thereby strengthening and supporting the same from fracture by reason ot' thesickle-board striking stones or other obstruc-` tions during the operation ot'cntting. An other and third knee is that (marked E inthe accomlvvanying diagram) which is bolted to the side ot' the said frame-work directly over the joining with the said sickle-board, and is also bolted in one or more places 'to the saidV sickle-board, and keeping it parallel with the top of the frame -work-. These knees and shoulders may be made in one, two, or three pieces, the advantage in their use being that.

they are so placed as not to obstruct the passage of the cut grass and grain from the machine, nor raise the sickle-board up in the` least from the ground, thereby enabling the graseto lbe cut closer, nor to prevent the grass from being cut in tho very angle formed bythe junction ot' the sickle-board with the frame-work, as is the case with every bracing having its support on the frame-work in front or in advance ot said sickle-board or underneath the'same.

It is'obvious that the part of the sickle cut out may be .of any shape, although I prefer an angular, as lrepresented in the drawings; or a mereV opening may be cut in the blade, leaving a portion ofthe blade at the back, and then making the serrations or points in the edges of the openings ot' the blades.

I do not Claim Vhaving; invented any pnxblade sickle-edged, as set: forth, excepbthe ticularl'orm fortbeirregular or angular-slaped rear projecting pointsA back of the knife-bar, back, or any particular form for the frontcut.- which latter constructionl disclaim.

ling-edge ot' the sickle. BRONSON MURRAY.

What I claim, and desire to secureby Let- Witnesses; f ters Patent,'is A. O. FISHER,

Making the i'ear serra-tures' of the sic-kle- P. SIflwALEY.l 

